What stands out worked out from the figures below

Ellington has the most expensive homes ($114k median).

Smyrna has grown the fastest since 2010 (-3.4%).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Ellington	Smyrna
People
Population	1,554Highest	1,392Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-8.9%Lowest NY: +4.2%	-3.4%Highest NY: +4.2%
Median age	42.1±4.8Lowest 6% above NY	43.4±7.4Highest 9% above NY
	Smyrna and Ellington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	24.1%±4.2Lowest NY: 20.5%	26.3%±5.7Highest NY: 20.5%
	Smyrna and Ellington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.7%±2.7Highest NY: 17.9%	15.8%±5Lowest NY: 17.9%
	Ellington and Smyrna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	12.1%Highest NY: 40.2%	9.6%Lowest NY: 40.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.2%±1.7Highest NY: 7%	1.2%±1.5Lowest NY: 7%
	Ellington and Smyrna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$65,000±$15kHighest 24% below NY	$59,408±$10kLowest 31% below NY
	Ellington and Smyrna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$114,300±$13kHighest 73% below NY	$89,500±$10kLowest 79% below NY
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$681±$342Lowest 58% below NY	$888±$384Highest 45% below NY
	Smyrna and Ellington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,472Highest 62% below NY	$2,056Lowest 69% below NY
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	100%±100Highest NY: 52.1%	67.7%±84.9Lowest NY: 52.1%
	Ellington and Smyrna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	18%Highest NY: 14%	14.3%Lowest NY: 14%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.4%Lowest NY: 54.3%	88.8%Highest NY: 54.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1977Highest 18 yrs newer than NY	1976Lowest 17 yrs newer than NY
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minHighest 24% below NY	22 minLowest 33% below NY
Work from home	6.6%±5.5Lowest NY: 14.9%	9.5%±5.4Highest NY: 14.9%
	Smyrna and Ellington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

NY average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.